Giant pandas have a very short window for breeding. Women can only get pregnant 24 to 72 hours a year.
In April 2020, two pandas at a zoo in Hong Kong finally mated after 10 years of trying, highlighting the importance of each mating session.
Huan Huan pictured in his office.
Beauval ZooParc
Beauval ZooParc praised the performance of its pandas over the weekend.
“Huan Huan was at the height of his hormonal peak and Yuan Zi … was obviously in top form!” reads the statement.
“The two (bears) obviously had some rest periods during those vital hours … but they were obviously not very tired.”
Yuan Zi was “more at ease” during the act than in previous years, according to the statement, which noted that the pair were “cooperative and very active” during their repeated meetings.
“Our man has made progress over the past year,” said Baptiste Mulot, Beauval’s chief veterinarian. “He has a better idea of what to do.”
Although there is no guarantee that Huan Huan will indeed be pregnant, the zoo said the mating session was “very good”, noting “Huan Huan’s” high-pitched noises and Yuan Zi’s “hoarse growls”.
Veterinarians also artificially inseminated Huan Huan to improve her chances of becoming pregnant, the zoo said, and the team will have a better idea if the mating session was a success in about 15 days.
The zoo received special bamboo shoots from China to ensure that Huan Huan receives all the nutrients it needs, as the bamboo is out of season in France.
The two pandas are 12 years old and have been at the French zoo since 2012.
Huan Huan may become a mother for the second time, after giving birth to a male cub named Yuan Meng – the first giant panda to be born in France – 3.5 years ago.
The gestation period of the giant pandas varies between 72 and 324 days.